Friday, July 3, 2009

The nation of Hungary has taken a step forward granting marriage rights to same-sex couples. While this is historic there still is a gap of inequality that must be changed.

"These life partnerships will be guaranteed the same tax, employment, social and immigration benefits as heterosexual marriages. Gay couples will be barred from adopting children and taking their spouse's name"" (Caboodle).

Hungarian LGBT organizations Hatter and Labrisz will continue to strive for full equality under the law.

@ Issac: My wife and I have our names hyphenated, in the exact same order, and are proud to do so. Personally, I love how my full legal name screams "redneck woman who married a Russian," because that's what I am. Women in mixed-sex couples have all kinds of options now. (Men sometimes don't always, depending on state.) It's a good thing. Regardless of your feelings regarding this custom or what you would do, the important thing here is that same-sex couples, unlike mixed-sex couples, aren't *allowed* to make a *choice*.

Of course, adoption is a more important right. It galls me that that was tacked on. I hope that as more same-sex couples are seen and known and registered, the resistance will wear down.

Any kind of progress in the name of love is god anywhere. Thank you for the report, QU.

I thought the Spanish tradition was to just keep adding names until the birth/baptismal certificate looks like a collection of random names: Maria Angela Raphaela Conchita Alonzo y Sotomayor de Bruguerra y Gimeno

I am married In the netherlands, and my husband and I are not allowed to take each other's last name. That does not make it any less of a marriage. Anyway the reason we are not allowed to do so in NL is because we are both from other countries, I from the US and He from Italy. Many heterosexual couples also choose not to change their name, does that make their marriage less of a marriage? NOOO. On the other hand, I can choose to have my name registered at the post office with his surname if I want, I just can't legally change it unless I go back to Iowa and put in a request for a name change. They will do it as long as you are not changing it to something offensive, and if your original surname looks like something offensive they will change it, no questions asked. In Italy, and I am sure also in Hungary, you have to have a really good reason to change your name. You just have to go up a different avenue than the standard marriage one...